CG02 X is for Xenocryst
by Miz Em
Summary: Summer 2007 Alphabet challenge at the Numb3rs Forum. Sequel to Q is for Quagmire. This is the 2nd in what I hope will eventually be a series of 26. Q is for Quagmire is the 1st. There will be no further updates to this piece.
1. Chapter 1

Summer 2007 Alphabet challenge at the Numb3rs Forum. Sequel to Q is for Quagmire. 

--

"No. Absolutely not."

Colby met Don's hard, unyielding stare with an impassive one of his own, even as he heard Assistant Director Philip Wright respond to Don's flat refusal.

"You don't have a choice, Eppes."

The note of sympathy in AD Wright's voice drew a wry twist to Colby's lips. He couldn't really blame Don's adamant opposition, since it was Don and his team who arrested him for treason not all that long ago. It had to be difficult for them to accept that they had to work with him again, especially since he was no longer a part of the FBI.

"What do you mean, he doesn't have a choice?"

David's angry voice cut through Colby's thoughts. He winced at the betrayal that still lingered in David's voice. Regret coursed through his veins as he realized that David would never trust him again.

"These orders come from high up," AD Wright remained calm.

"High up? For him?" Don sounded incredulous.

"Yes." A cold voice spoke from the head of the conference room table.

Colby turned to the speaker with just as much interest as everyone else. He was surprised at the curt annoyance behind the single word. For as long as he'd worked for him, the man he knew only as Steele had never shown a shred of emotion. His gaze narrowed as he eyed Steele thoughtfully. A tall man, he had dark hair that was greying at the temples. The eyes were a wintry gray, cool at the best of times, but as cold with disdain now as Colby had ever seen them. The thin, ascetic face with its sharp angles coupled with the wintry gaze probably had a great deal to do with the name Steele had chosen for himself. _That and the fact he was as hard and deadly as his namesake,_ Colby reflected wryly.

"I refuse to work with someone I can't trust," Don said flatly.

"You have your orders," Steele's implacable gaze never left Don.

"Was he under orders to betray us to the Chinese?" Don demanded to know.

The implacable gaze never wavered, "You don't have the need to know the details. You only need to know that he'll be on your team for this case."

"On my team, but with a different agenda." It was a statement, but the bitterness dripped from every word.

"He has his orders."

Colby shivered involuntarily, wondering yet again, how Steele managed to lace each word with icy menace. But he was calm and still when he met Megan's curious eyes. His gaze flicked to Liz Warner, standing just behind Don, concern written all over her. _Probably brought in to replace me,_ he thought with regret. _I really liked working here._

"He'll be checking in with me periodically. I trust his reports won't indicate any obstruction with his orders." Steele got up and left the conference room with AD Wright.

"Well, Colby," Liz said slowly, "I guess we're stuck with you."

"Is Colby Granger even your name?" David asked, the brusque tone hinted at his distrust.

His lips curved into a half smile as he answered as amiably as he could, "It's as good a name as any." He hadn't used his real name in years. He couldn't. That man was long dead.

"Was anything we knew about you even real?" David was angry now. "Or were the last two years a complete lie?"

_My friendship was genuine, David,_ he thought sadly, but answered coolly, "No. And yes." He braced himself as David launched himself at him, only to be held back by Don and the two women.

"We have a job to do," Megan reminded everyone as she tried to bring them back to the task at hand.

"Yuri Mednik, former Russian spy, dead from polonium-210 poisoning," Colby said quietly. "Andrei Dranovsky, former KGB Agent, accused of the deed by the Brits." He was amused when four pairs of eyes focused on him in shock. "But you want Dranovsky for arms sales to the Taliban."

"How the hell do you even know that?" Don demanded.

Colby lifted an eyebrow, "I work for Steele. He knows everything. And sometimes I have the need to know."

"And why does Steele want Dranovsky?" Megan asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. She rolled her eyes at Colby's shrug. "I guess I don't have the need to know," she said in exasperation.

"You guess right," Colby's lips twitched with amusement when Megan laughed. For a moment, it felt like he was part of the team again, but then his gaze fell on David's suspicious face. He sighed to himself. It was going to be a long and difficult case. None of the cases he'd worked on since he'd started working for Steele had been easy, but this one was going to be the worst, because he'd let himself care about the FBI team he'd worked with for two years. He'd never done that before. Sighing again, Colby focused on Don when he started talking.

"Our boys in Afghanistan recovered a stash of Taliban arms when they raided a compound. Unfortunately, those were US made arms. Computer records indicated that they were sent to our troops. There were even records that they were received. But the quartermaster that supposedly received them hasn't been there in several years." Don eyed Colby as he related the details to his team.

"Let me guess. One Dwayne Carter," Colby murmured. He smiled faintly when Don scowled at him.

Liz decided to ignore the byplay, "How does Dranovsky figure into this?"

"Perhaps Colby would be gracious enough to enlighten us." Don barely held the sarcasm in check.

Ignoring the barb, Colby nodded briskly and continued, "Dwayne had been lifting supplies and selling them since the day he joined the army. He eventually moved up to selling arms. Dranovsky figured that out and took advantage of it. They worked out a way for Dwayne to appropriate larger amounts of arms and munitions, and Dranovsky paid him for it. Paid him well, I might add."

Liz stared at him. "Dwayne worked for the Russians too?"

"Not really. At the time, Dranovsky was in business for himself, he wasn't spying for the Russian goverment. But once we discovered Dwayne's nefarious activities, we managed to redirect his attention to selling information instead of arms, and Dranovsky moved on to other contacts. When Dwayne received a piece of information that the Chinese wanted, they lost no time in turning him into one of their double agents."

"'We'?" Megan murmured, eying Colby thoughtfully. "Just how exactly did 'we' go about doing this?"

He shrugged casually. "I was placed in the same platoon. We became friends. The jeep exploded, and he saved my life. The rest you know."

"I'm beginning to wonder if we know anything about anything," David muttered, staring incredulously at Colby.

"Did you know the jeep would explode?" Megan probed further.

"Of course I knew. I rigged it to," Colby replied easily.

"You could've been killed, you idiot!"

His spirits rose with sudden hope at the rage and fear in David's voice. _Perhaps, one day, he could learn to trust me again. Perhaps, one day, we could be friends again._ With an effort, Colby kept his tone light, "I told you I rigged it. I knew how long I had."

"What if he hadn't saved your life?" Don raised the question.

"He had to, if he wanted to live. And rats usually want to." Colby shrugged again.

"And what would have happened if you had been wrong and you'd both died?" Megan asked with trepidation.

Colby smoothed his face into a bland mask as he replied, "Then not only would Steele have lost a fairly good agent, he would also have lost a potential asset. But that would have meant I failed to follow orders, and I've never failed to follow orders. I so hate to disappoint Steele."

_I'm just another disposable agent to the government. Steele would have just sent someone else in after Dwayne because he was just the kind of person who could be turned into a double agent. And it's proved useful to control a double agent without his knowledge._

He assessed their reaction to his statement, then brought the conversation back to the case before they could probe further into the situation with Dwayne. "I assume you have a plan for going after Dranovsky?"

"I didn't before, but I do now." Don's eyes gleamed. "You're going to go in and spin a story about taking over where Carter left off those years ago."

Colby snickered, "A gold star for you. Well, how about that. The straightlaced agent is devious enough for spywork after all." He met Don's annoyed glare with a derisive twist of his lips. _People are often surprised at the depths they're willing to sink to under the right circumstances._

But Don didn't take the bait. He took a moment, apparently to calm himself, "Megan, you go with him."

"Don't trust me? Imagine that." Colby taunted just under his breath. He looked amused when both Don and Megan turned to glare at him.

"Make contact with Dranovsky," Don ordered. "Set up a sale."

"Aye, aye, sir." Colby murmured.

"Here's the last contact information we have," Liz began to say as she looked in the folder in her hands.

"Don't bother. I have it." Colby strolled nonchalantly towards the door and glanced at Megan on the way, "You coming?"

--

"Why did you come back?" Megan asked as they got into his car.

"I didn't." Colby said wryly. _I'd love to, but that seems more impossible each time I see all of you._

She gestured impatiently, "Don't split hairs. You know what I mean."

He pulled his sunglasses down his nose to look over them at her. He wasn't surprised that she'd been the most open to him, she'd been far too good a profiler to be taken in entirely. He said slowly, "There's more at stake than arms deals. I can't tell you much more than that. Steele's worried if he's sending me back in, out in the open, so to speak."

"Because he's more likely to have someone undercover infiltrating the organization?" Megan said dryly.

"What makes you think he doesn't?" Colby replied, equally dry.

Megan eyed him sharply, snorting in disgust at his innocent look. "How do you deal with the web of lies in all this spy-counterspy cloak-and-dagger life?"

"I do my best not to think about it," he said quietly. "I do what I have to do and leave the rest to Steele."

"Why? Why do you work for someone like Steele?" Megan demanded.

"Someone like Steele? Profiled him already?" Colby threw her a curious look.

"Someone as morally reprehensible as Steele," Megan said in disgust. "Machiavellian plots with more twists and turns than a mountain road."

"That implies personal gain, Megan. You don't know enough about him to determine that he's morally reprehensible."

Megan gave him another sharp glance. "You couldn't possibly imagine he's doing all this for the greater good."

Colby was silent for a few minutes as he concentrated on cutting across the traffic to get on the interstate.

"My father did his duty with honor, but followed his commander's orders right into death and disgrace," Colby said slowly, the grim set of his jaw told Megan that he was reliving the pain. "I'm my father's son to the core. Foolishly, I trusted my commanding officer to do the right thing. I followed in my father's footsteps to the letter, except I didn't die, even if all records indicate that I'm dead. Luckily for me, Steele happened to be at the right place at the right time, and because of him, I survived." He paused, lost in the memory, then he turned to her. "When Steele offered to clear my father's name, I jumped at it."

Megan held her breath for an instant, almost afraid to hear the rest of the story. What price had he paid?

Colby smiled gently at the expression on her face, "I have to say this for Steele, he keeps his promises, and then some. He cleared my father's name, and he cleared mine. The man I was is dead but his name is clear. The man I am," he paused with a slight frown, "The man I am does his duty and follows orders."

"Steele's orders," Megan said softly. As much as she'd seen as an FBI agent, as much as she'd been through at the Department of Justice, the chill in Colby's eyes scared her.

"Steele's orders," Colby agreed. "The ends justify the means. Regardless of the means, regardless of the collateral damage." He pushed his sunglasses back on and said softly, "But Steele isn't some vigilante, you know. We BIare/I/B a government sanctioned operation."

He lapsed back into silence again.

Megan wasn't sure whether she was more chilled by the things Colby had told her, or by the thought that all of it was sanctioned by the US government.

--


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, well, well. It's a surprise to see you." Danovsky smirked when Colby got out of the car and faced him. "What do you call yourself these days?" He tilted his chin at Megan. "Who's the lovely lady?" 

"My partner, Meg Evers."

Colby was looser and more relaxed than Megan had ever seen him. His demeanor had changed ever so slightly, and he carried himself with an arrogant grace that made him seem like a completely different person from wise-cracking all-American boy she'd worked with the last two years.

"Silent partner. And I'm still Colby Granger. For now."

Megan tried to relax as she lounged against the car just behind Colby.

Danovsky grinned, "My pleasure, Ms. Evers. And it's good to see you, Granger. I heard your friend Carter's in jail for treason. I also heard that you're also supposed to be in jail, but here you are, standing in front of me."

Colby leaned casually against the car next to Megan and shrugged, "I know more people. Grateful people."

"So it would seem." Danovsky took his time raking him from head to toe with an eagle eye. He shrugged. "What is it you want from me?"

"The goods slated for Carter's last delivery is still available."

"Are they, indeed?" Danovsky looked amused.

"They are, indeed," Colby mimicked him mockingly. "Dwayne left some dissatisfied customers when he failed to deliver. I'm all for customer satisfaction."

Danovsky roared with laughter. "That's altruistic of you."

"It's good for business," Colby murmured.

Their steely gazes clashed and held as each evaluated the other.

"Very well," Danovsky said softly. "Bring the goods to the Elysian Viaduct crossing of the Los Angeles River tomorrow at 1pm sharp. I will bring the payment previously agreed upon. Then we shall talk about what else might be of interest."

"Customer satisfaction is a beautiful thing." Colby said dryly as Danovsky got back into his car, roaring with laughter again.

--

"Just like that, he set up the sale?" Don looked at Megan with a speculative gaze.

"Yep." Megan was torn between suspicion and admiration. "Just like that."

"Where is he now?"

She shrugged, "Took off after he brought me back here. Said he had to report in."

"I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have to say I don't know what to think about all of this." Don shook his head in bewilderment.

"Maybe," Megan hesitated. "Maybe it's better not to think about it, if we just get Danovsky."

Don's eyes narrowed on Megan's face. "Don't tell me he convinced you that the ends justifies the means! What did he tell you? That he was innocent?"

"No, no." Megan said slowly. "He didn't claim that. He's never claimed innocence." She paused and met Don's eyes. "But I don't think he's guilty."

"You believe his convoluted story? That he was put in place simply to gain Dwayne as an asset? That Dwayne became a Chinese double agent by someone else's design? That being pulled into becoming a Chinese double agent was part of the plan? You don't think it all sounded like the misguided imagination of a conspiracy theorist?"

Megan was silent. She was very much afraid that none of it was imagined.

Don sighed, "Well, I have to set things up if we're going to make the sale tomorrow. Get the arms and munitions together and all that."

"He said that Steele would take care of that."

Her voice was soft and unsure, not at all like the Megan Reeves he knew. Don searched her eyes for a minute, then said slowly, "Alright, I'll still have to get a team together."

She nodded absently as he left her, lost in her thoughts.

--

"Did Danovsky fall for it?"

Colby looked at Steele, but as usual, his expression gave nothing away. "I doubt it. But he seemed willing to go along with it."

"I can't imagine what he'd gain from it." A slight frown creased Steele's forehead.

Shrugging, Colby leaned back in his chair and waited.

"I assume Eppes will be ready for meet tomorrow." Steele murmured. He eyed Colby severely. "No heroics, please."

"Heroics? Me? For a bunch of people who don't trust me? You wound me." Colby said lightly. _They've always been able to take care of themselves. But I'll be there if they need me._

The slight lift of Steele's eyebrow told Colby that he wasn't in the least bit fooled, but he didn't pursue it. "We'll have new agent in a week or so. I'd like you to mentor her when she gets here, at least for the first few days."

The sudden grin was a white slash against Colby's tanned face. The weariness and disillusionment that taken residence in the lines on his face since his arrest were momentarily banished, and he almost looked as young as he really was. "I believe the letter K is available."

A barely perceptible sigh from Steele indicated his displeasure and Colby relaxed enough for a deep belly laugh. They all knew Steele hated that his agents maintained their anonymity by assigning alphabets to themselves. It smacked of the movie Men in Black. Little wonder, since that's where they got the idea. The only thing Steele hated more was that they had dubbed themselves Steele's Blades instead of using the official but innocuous name of Department of Domestic and Foreign Safety.

"Get to work, X," Steele said curtly, and turned back to his own work, wincing at Colby's raucous laughter as he made his way out of Steele's office.

--

"Alright, you and you, position yourselves on that ridge over there. And you three, go behind that support beam. David, you and Liz get behind that other support beam. Everyone, get into position after Dranovsky arrives. Try to stay out of sight, alright?" Don barked out his orders then turned his attention to Megan. "You got a kevlar vest under there?"

"Not under. It's in this jacket." Megan told him calmly.

"Alright. Stay out of the line of fire." Don told her. He glared at Colby, "Don't leave her again."

Colby didn't bother to respond. _She was laying down cover so I could go get the reporter. She had everything under control. And I had backup. She was as safe as I could make her._ He took a quick glance around the area and just barely found his own backup in place. He allowed himself to relax slightly. "Let's go," he said to Megan, and they got into the truck filled with the arms they were selling to Dranovsky.

A few minutes later, they pulled into the concrete river bed just under the Elysian Viaduct. They settled down to wait for Dranovsky.

Megan fiddled restlessly with her jacket, and ignored the curious look Colby slanted her way. Finally, she turned off the mike in her ear.

"What are you doing?" Colby demanded. "I don't want you out of radio contact with Don."

She shook her head, "Don't worry, I'll turn it back on in a minute. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Dranovsky's due any minute," Colby bit out tersely. He didn't like where this was going.

"Is he holding you against your will, Colby? Do you need help getting out of Steele's clutches?" Megan asked quickly.

Colby turned to face her, and raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Why are you asking? You don't have the authority to make any kind of offer." _We can't go back anyway. There's too much water under the bridge._

"The circumstances you described..."

He snorted a derisive laugh, "He's not holding me against my will. That's all I'm going to say about it. Best turn that mike back on before Don freaks out." _I don't dislike working for Steele. He's one of the most honorable men I've ever had the privilege to serve. But some of the things we have to do, well, it'll wear anyone out._

"Still..."

"No more. It isn't all apple pie and sliced bread. Certain situations require drastic solutions, and it's our job to provide them. That's all there is to it. Dranovsky's arriving. Turn that mike back on. Now!"

Megan found herself obeying the sharp command in that last word. She was sure now, if she wasn't before, that the Colby Granger she'd known for the last two years barely scratched the surface of the man sitting next to her. Or maybe the man she thought she knew really didn't exist after all.

--

"I like a man who's punctual," Dranovsky drew the words out in amusement. His four armed guards spread out in a half circle around all of them.

Colby quirked an eyebrow at them. "Are they really necessary? We're not armed."

A snicker escaped Dranovsky. "I don't believe that for a moment, my friend. But, nevertheless, let us proceed."

Jumping up onto the back of the truck, Colby let down the ramp to allow Dranovsky and one of his men entry. He remained impassive as Dranovsky inspected the 'merchandise'.

"All in order," Dranovsky murmured. "I'm impressed at the quality. Even better than Carter would have managed. Why is that, Granger?"

"I told you. I know more people. Grateful people."

"Of course. Well," Dranovsky concluded briskly. "I'm sure you'll want to inspect the payment."

"I hope it's fresh, Dranovsky. The batch you would have used in payment to Dwayne would have deteriorated by now. Short half-life and all that."

"What? Half-life? What the hell is he talking about?" Don shouted into Megan's ear. "Everybody get into position!"

Dranovsky threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, my friend. You amuse me."

"Glad to be of service," Colby said dryly.

"And how do you plan on checking it?" Dranovsky was scornful.

"Handy-dandy Geiger counter," was Colby's mild reply.

Dranovsky paused. "I've underestimated you, my friend," he murmured. "How else have I underestimated you?"

Colby shrugged, "I just want to unload these weapons. So, where is it?"

Dranovsky signaled one of his men, who went around to the trunk of one of the cars and unlocked it. He pulled out a small heavy case. "As agreed upon, one kilogram of polonium-210 and an untraceable car for your escape."

"I assume it's suitably lined with protective material?" Colby asked cautiously.

"I have no desire for polonium-210 poisoning, my friend," Dranovsky said, raising an eyebrow at Colby. "It has a built-in Geiger counter, one you can see from the outside of the case. I have no wish to be in any closer contact with this material."

Colby checked the counter and pronounced himself satisfied. He put the case back into the trunk, and waved Megan to the passenger side.

Two of Dranovsky's men moved towards the truck.

"FBI! Freeze! Put your hands up in the air!"

Megan could pick out Don's and David's voices from the cacophony as she put her own hands up in the air and saw Colby do the same. Then she saw Dranovsky's men pull their guns up. "Gun!" she screamed.

Shots were fired, and Dranovsky's men went down. There was silence in the smoky air for a few minutes.

"Get your hands up in the air," David scowled at Dranovsky as he strode towards him.

Colby saw Dranovsky pull a gun just as David reached for his handcuffs. "David, gun!" He shouted in fear, and dived to knock David out of the way. He heard Danovsky's gun go off, and felt the bullet slam into his side. He heard the distant whine of a shot and a sudden cry from Danovsky then the clatter of the gun as Dranovsky dropped it. _Sniper fire. Thank God for S._ "Jeez, that hurts!"

"Colby, you idiot!" David shouted at him, his fear evident in the strain on his voice. "Somebody get an ambulance!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. He got me on the vest." But Colby struggled to catch his breath, he'd had the air knocked out of him, and he was going to be badly bruised from the bullet.

"He's right, you're an idiot." The cold voice trembled ever so slightly.

_Some of the running feet must have been Steele's._

"Gee, thanks, Steele. So glad you care." Colby muttered as he got to his feet with David's help.

"I told you no heroics."

Colby didn't think it was possible, but Steele's voice had become even colder, and more cutting. He winced. "Right. I forgot." He barely heard Steele's sigh, but relaxed fractionally at it. He hoped Steele was just worried.

--

"Was Don very unhappy that you swiped his bust?" Colby shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the bruise from the bullet a sore reminder of the day's events.

"He was furious," the memory lifted a small, satisfied smile to Steele's lips. Just as quickly, he suppressed it.

"Bet he was unhappy that he wasn't told about the polonium-210," Colby said wryly.

This time a full smile lit Steele's usually severe face, "He was livid." He allowed himself a moment to savor it, then smoothed his face back into its usual chilly mask.

Colby burst into laughter, then broke it off with a wince when the bruise on his side protested the ill-treatment. "I'll just bet." He sent a laser sharp glance to Steele, "Is Danovsky cooperating?"

"Singing like the proverbial bird," Steele murmured with satisfaction. "He has no desire to languish in a British prison, or worse. He's given up his sources for the polonium-210. We should be able to quash that with the information he's provided."

"And Mednik? Did Dranovsky admit to killing him?" Colby looked curiously at Steele, wondering why he was so unusually forthcoming.

"Yes, on KGB orders."

"He admitted to that?" Colby sat up in amazement, wincing again at the pain the sudden movement wrought. He eyed Steele suspiciously, "Was he 'persuaded'?"

Steele slanted him a frosty look and changed the subject. "Why X?"

"What?" Colby struggled with the suddenness of it.

"I'm aware of why the others chose the alphabets they did. S for Sniper, A for Assassin, F for Femme Fatale. Why did you choose X?"

Still surprised, Colby answered, "For the unknown quantity."

"Hmmm."

Colby squirmed a little at the searching gaze that Steele subjected him to.

"Well, at least your friends trust you again," Steele murmured softly.

"I wouldn't go quite that far," Colby said dryly. "They just aren't sure whether or not they should distrust me."

Steele smiled faintly, "I think you'll find Sinclair and Reeves rather more trusting of you than you might think."

Hope surged up in Colby's heart, but he replied coolly, "Not that it matters. I doubt I'll see them again." Uncomfortable with the look in Steele's eyes as he tapped thoughtfully on his lips, Colby added, "That's not why the S, A and F were chosen, by the way." He sat back with satisfaction when Steele's eyebrows winged up in surprise. "What is X to you?"

Colby felt a twinge of disappointment as he watched Steele rise and move towards the door. He would have liked to know.

"Xenocryst," Steele said abruptly as he paused at the door. He pinned Colby with his wintry gaze, "A rare crystal in ordinary igneous rock. A rare diamond, in fact, and every bit as valuable, if not more."

Colby stared in stunned surprise at the unexpected compliment as Steele strode out the door. He found himself smiling. For the first time in a long time, he looked forward to the next day.

--

A/N:  
I let my fevered imagination run rampant. You'll more than likely find procedural inaccuracies, please forgive them and just pretend it works. :-) One thing that isn't the result of my fevered imagination is the polonium-210 poisoning. I changed the names but I ripped the story from the newspaper.

I adore Colby and because of that, my Colby will always prevail. Angst spices up the story and I'm not above using it, but too much angst spirals into hopelessness and despair. I have to believe human nature always prevails against that or life wouldn't be worth it. I couldn't very well allow Colby to do differently. I'll let other authors do that, especially since they do hopelessness and despair much better than I ever could.

I find it much easier to write the short one-shots, so this took longer than I had planned. Hopefully, the plot-holes aren't too jarring. Thank you all for reading it. I'd love to hear from you, be it compliments, or suggestions on how to improve. Thanks again!


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